The best animated films, according to hackers
19 animated films were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 2 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The two most recommended animated films with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Ranked among the best anime
Recommended as a cerebral cyberpunk story about autonomy, consciousness and what it means to be human, with striking art. Critics find some versions formulaic and the 1995 film weak.
Favorite Studio Ghibli film
People recommend it as a favorite animated film that suits children and looks striking in high definition.
All 19 animated films, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghost in the Shell | 22 | 5 | 81% | 8 | — | Approved |
| 2 | Spirited Away | 14 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| 3 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | 11 | 1 | 92% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 4 | Princess Mononoke | 9 | 2 | 82% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 4 | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | 9 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 4 | Porco Rosso | 9 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 4 | My Neighbor Totoro | 9 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Howl's Moving Castle (Studio Ghibli film) | 8 | 1 | 89% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Wildwood by Laika | 8 | 2 | 80% | 2 | — | — |
| 10 | Toy Story (1995) 4K release | 7 | 6 | 54% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Shrek | 6 | 1 | 86% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Aladdin (1992 film) | 6 | 3 | 67% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | The Wind Rises | 6 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Kiki's Delivery Service | 6 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 6 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | WALL-E | 5 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | The Lion King | 5 | 1 | 83% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | Castle in the Sky | 5 | 1 | 83% | 1 | — | — |
| Tied 16 | Zootopia 2 | 5 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same animated film in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to animated films that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.